13 week period for overseas travel - How does it work?

[lonelywalrus]

Hi there,

I have talked to Centrelink International Services on the phone this month. I've got a recording of the agent who was very sure that the way it works for DSP is that every suspension you get has a 13 week grace period before your DSP is cancelled, but that this grace period resets to the full 13 weeks every time you get paid again.

Now, my understanding was that I got 13 weeks to travel outside of the country (and I never pushed it this close) in a 12 month period starting from the last day that you left the country in the last 12 months. 

So what this agent was very sure about, is that that is not correct. You get 4 weeks of paid leave in any 12 month period, however the 13 weeks (unpaid) resets every time you get paid again. Meaning that, effectively I could leave the country as often as I wish (unpaid) as long as I come back within 13 weeks. 

Additionally, would the paid period stack with the 13 weeks allowing me a maximum of 17 weeks in one trip?

Now this would be pretty huge for me as my condition is worsening and I won't have much longer to travel, and so far I havn't been to the nearby cheap countries because I was scared of being removed from Centrelink entirely.

Can anyone confirm what this agent has told me? 

Thank you very much for your time and happy new year.

[nomadic]

A bit confusing for me but bear will clear it up I think. Have you thought about applying for Unlimited Portability (U.P.) though? If you want to travel check it out as it is heaven when you get it. Cheers.

[notifications off]

28 days paid per year (that’s a rolling year .. is tricky caution required!)

When not being paid you are in Suspension for up to 13 weeks .. beyond 13 weeks is Cancellation !.!

[Deleted]

G'day lonelywalrus welcome to the forum. It's a hidden element, the 13 weeks unpaid because I haven't seen anything in the guidelines for quite some time.

If you have your call recorded and/or receipt number you can always put it back on them if it goes pear shaped. I hadn't heard of the 13 weeks resetting from the first pay after you return; then being good to go unpaid again though. One thing to keep in mind would be not to overdo it; eg. More than six months in one year could possibly see you fall foul of residency rules.

Overall though, as notifications off has said; along with other threads on the subject, 28 days paid, 13 weeks unpaid before cancellation occurs and multiple 13 weeks unpaid seems to be the current policy. Cheers bear

[notifications off]

My understanding is Suspension ‘reset’ occurs whenever payment is resumed.

Rolling years are a different matter and to unlock this mystery ask International in Hobart. If for example you always took you four week holiday at the same time each year you would need to depart earlier each year (makes my head hurt). If you departed on the same day would receive nothing for 4 weeks.

[Deleted]

Jan 1, 2019 8:06:07 GMT 7 notifications off said:

My understanding is Suspension ‘reset’ occurs whenever payment is resumed.

Rolling years are a different matter and to unlock this mystery ask International in Hobart. If for example you always took you four week holiday at the same time each year you would need to depart earlier each year (makes my head hurt). If you departed on the same day would receive nothing for 4 weeks.

Re lifting suspension; are you speaking of annual reset of the twenty-eight days or for another 13 weeks unpaid away notifications off ?

I always took my four weeks in April and my allowed leaving date was always the same date as the date I left on from 2015 on, and I always got paid.

[notifications off]

A single payment resets the 13 week Suspension.
Rolling years don’t reset, they roll ………….. perhaps we were ensnarled by a leap year.

[lonelywalrus]

Thanks for the advice, I did an extensive search of this forum and I've heard only a couple mentions of this 13 week reset rule, and a lot of uncertainty.


Hippy have you tested that the 13 weeks resets every time you get paid? ie. been out of the country longer in one rolling year period? Heard from multiple agents?


So my understanding from what I've read on here is that the maximum time for a single trip is 17 weeks. (If you have the paid period) Is this correct? As I previously thought the 4 weeks paid was part of the 13 weeks.

So 'bear' says the 4 week paid period rollover is always on the same leaving date of the latest paid trip? eg. 4 week trip resets on December 5 each year. A split up trip of 2 weeks in December 5 and 2 weeks in January 4 would probably reset on January 4? So hippy what you're saying is, that paid period rollover does not include any unpaid trips? So a 4 week trip December 5, and then a 13 week trip in March, the paid period rollover will begin in December 5 again the next year and ignore the unpaid trip you had in March?

(The alternative would be, if the unpaid period triggers the rollover year that you would never be paid again overseas until you took a one year break from travel)


I do have a call recording but not a receipt number. I will call the services a couple more times before I try anything and get receipt numbers. I won't be going anywhere for a while that's pushing 13 weeks though, and plan on living in Australia, I mainly want peace of mind to go overseas to visit family and for emergencies.

[lonelywalrus]

Additional information: I was told the 13 week reset is not part of travel at all. It is merely a product of suspensions. So if you are suspended for 13 weeks at any given time, you then will be cut off. This includes jail sentences as discussed on this forum. But the agent was very sure that each suspension is an isolated event in the system, and as such there is no limit on the amount of suspensions you can get per year. So you could go to jail for 7 weeks, stay at home a month and leave the country for 7 weeks and this would not cancel the Centrelink payment because each suspension is an isolated case with its own 13 week period and no calendar or rollover year limit of any kind.

Happy to share my phone call audio with bear or hippy if they would like to listen.

[Deleted]

A split up trip of 2 weeks in December 5 and 2 weeks in January 4 would probably reset on Jan 4? Two weeks would reset on December 5, two weeks on Jan 4. So after Jan 4, you have your paid 28 days back. 

As the original two weeks started December 5; by splitting , you have rolled your portability forward by one calendar  month. However when someone takes two weeks from December 5; then two weeks from June 5, it extrapolates to not being eligible for your full portability again for 18 months; should you wish to go away for the full twenty-eight days.

Never having done the thirteen week suspension thing I can only give anecdotal explanation:- If you want to go OS for anything up to thirteen weeks; you call to give your travel advice, (DSP cannot be done online) I suspect they will advise you you DSP will be suspended when you do the passport control thing; either electronically or human. Upon re-entry it will reverse and you will be back on the clock; so to speak.

If you want a 17 week jaunt take your 28 days paid, take the suspension, come back early rather than later. Same thing will happen; through passport control, on the books. 

I was told the 13 week reset is not part of travel at all. It is merely a product of suspensions. I concur, if DSPers want to go away OS unpaid by calling for an allowable suspension period; the government is in a win win. They save money and have a chance if you come back even five minutes into the first day of your cancellation; you will be reassessed.

If anything isn't allowed International Services will be on to it and will tell you. I have always found them friendly, helpful and human. Cheers bear

[lonelywalrus]

Thanks so much bear, I will always make sure to call and ask international services before I go anywhere. This may not really change much for me, but it opens possibilities that I've never had before and I feel a lot more free now. Really big New Years present .

Just to clarify your first sentence on splitting. When that 2 weeks portability resets on December 5, I can use those 2 weeks immediately instead of having to wait for the next 2 weeks to reset in January. Is that correct?

[Deleted]

Jan 1, 2019 17:25:07 GMT 7 lonelywalrus said:

Thanks so much bear, I will always make sure to call and ask international services before I go anywhere. This may not really change much for me, but it opens possibilities that I've never had before and I feel a lot more free now. Really big New Years present .

Just to clarify your first sentence on splitting. When that 2 weeks portability resets on December 5, I can use those 2 weeks immediately instead of having to wait for the next 2 weeks to reset in January. Is that correct?

To the best of my knowledge, that is correct lonelywalrus.

[nomadic]

I agree 100% with hippy. MY HEAD HURTS. Go for UP and end all the headaches.

[notifications off]

“Hippy have you tested that the 13 weeks resets every time you get paid” ………....……… I take two or three trips a year of more than 4 weeks each time. The difficult part is the timing for my partner (also DSP) who only travels once a year for a trip of 30 days. We now check with Hobart and request letter confirming payment dates before booking her flight.


“maximum time for a single trip is 17 weeks. (If you have the paid period) Is this correct?” ……........ yes.


“told the 13 week reset is not part of travel at all. It is merely a product of suspensions” ….…...... agree with that.


The inclusion of the ‘rolling’ word in the legislation was a bean counters wet-dream.

[tamarind65]

I went overseas 3 times in last 12 months. First visit I overstayed 2 days, on the second trip 5 days and last one in October just over a week. DSP was suspended each time and reinstated when I did return to AU. New DSP concession card was send by mail. I did not even advise of travel to Centrelink on my last 2 trips. So, I guess you can go unpaid up to 13 weeks multiple times with no worry of loosing DSP.